Handle structure for portable saws



Nov. 18,1941. v KN USE gTAL 2,263,136

HANDLE STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE SAWS Filed May 20, 1939 Z SheetS- SITeet 1 Q \I N x T T @m L'Ua UL? MKNOUGE 650910 POWERS J Nov. 18, 1941. U E 2,263,136

HANDLE STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE SAWS Filed May 20,. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LUCK/J M/(NOUJE Cal a/0 Pom/519s it/M vL/ Patented Nov. 18, 1941 HANDLE STRUCTURE- FOR PORTABLE SAWS Lucius M. Knouse and Cedric Powers, New Brit-a ain, Conn assignors to The Stanley Works,

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New Britain, Conn., a'corporation of Connecti- Application May 20, 1939, Serial No. 274,746

1 Claim. (01. 143-43) The present invention relates to portable power driven saws and more particularly to an improved handle structure therefor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle structure which is so constructed and positioned on the saw that there is provided duplex grips which enables the operator to conveniently and readily manipulate the saw for any type of cut.

A still further object isthe provision of switch actuating means associated with each of the grips and so positioned thereon that upon grasping either grip a switch may be operated to close the motor circuit and operate the saw.

A still further object is an improved handle structure characterized by its simplicity of construction, easeof assemblyand adaptability for the purposes set forth.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts whichwill be exempli- The handle comprises opposed symmetrically hollow members I4 and I6 which are secured together as a unit bysuitable screws l8 extending through openings in the member HI and received in threaded bosses provided therefore in the' as toinclude, when secured together, a forward fied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a power Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view illustrating the switch mechanism and one of the switch actuating means therefor.

Referring to the drawin gsthere has been shown a portable power driven saw including a housing A, a rotatable blade B, the cutting edge of which is covered by suitable top and bottom blade guards, and a base C which is adjustable for varying the depth and angle of cut. In the embodiment illustrated the saw has been shown as one which is driven by a suitable electric motor (not shown) mounted in the housing A and operatively connected through suitable means to rotate the blade C. As theconstructional details of the saw form no part of the invention, such details have been omitted herein.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a handle D which is so constructed and so positioned on the housing A as to protide duplex top and rear hand grips l0 and I2.

leg 22 having its lower end secured to the housing A approximately above the center of gravity of the saw and with the handle centrally located in the vertical plane thereof. In order to secure the leg 22 the lower end thereof is provided with apertured laterally extending lugs 24 through which suitable screws 23 extend, the screws being received in threaded apertures in a boss 25 provided therefore on the top of the'housing A.

As indicated, the leg 22 extends upwardly'and rearwardly from the top of the housing and the top grip Ill extends rearwardly and substantially horizontally therefrom and terminates slightly to therear of the housing A. The length of leg 22 is such that the top grip Ill is so spaced above the housing A that the operator may readily grasp same, and as the forward end. thereof is securedover the center. of gravity of the saw, the saw when gripped thereby will be in substantial balance, thus facilitating its use for short cuts or whenever one hand operation is advantageous.

The rear grip l2 extends downwardly and substantially vertically from the outer end of .the top grip II] and is provided at its lower end with a forwardly extending leg 26 secured to the housing A below the horizontal center line thereof.

The forward end of leg 26 also terminates in laterally extending lugs and is secured to the hous- .ing A in like manner to the lower end of leg 22;

With this construction, the rear grip I2 is spaced a sufiicient distance to the rear of the housing to enable the operator to readily grip same and exert a force which is substantially in direct alignmentwith the center line of the housing, thus facilitating the use of the saw for ripping, long cross-cuts, cutting out of floor sections or other heavier types of W0lk..

Moreover, by constructing the handle in the above indicated manner it may be readily assembled and secured to and removed from, the housing, and when secured to the housing there is a substantially right angular unobstructed opening between the housing and grips, thus enabling the operator to grip the handle in any convenient manner or readily shift from one grip to the other.

In order to further facilitate the handling of the saw there is mounted on the handle D duplicate switch triggers and 32 which are pivotally mounted and so positioned that one of the triggers may be actuated by the index finger of the hand of the operator upon the gripping of either of the respective grips. The switch triggers 3i] and 32 are interconnected and adapted upon actuation to operate a switch mechanism 34 secured within the handle structure and connected through suitable leads (not shown) to a source of power and the motor.

The switch mechanism 34 includes a U-shaped frame member 36 carried by a suitable bracket 38 extending rearwardly fronr one side wall thereof and secured by screws 39 to a boss 4!] provided therefor in the handle member It. The frame has mounted therein a switch actuating member 31 adapted upon pivotal movement of the triggers to be moved vertically and open and close a switch 39 of any suitable type supported on the rear edges of the U frame 36.

In order to accomplish this each trigger is stamped into U shape to provide a forwardly engaging finger surface 42' and substantially rectangular side plates 44. The trigger 3i) associated with rear grip I2 has its upper forward corner pivotally mounted on a transverse fixed pivot pin 46 extending across and supported in the aligned apertures in the side walls of the frame member 35. The rear upward corner of trigger 30 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the switch actuating member 31 by a transversely arranged pivot pin 41 extending through aligned apertures in the side plates of the trigger and the side walls of the switch actuating member. The pin 41 is also adapted to engage the upper edge of bracket 35, and limit the outward pivoting of the trigger. Thus, upon pressing on the finger surface 42 of the trigger 39 it will be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction and into the handle to raise the pivot pin 46 and the actuating member 31 to operate the switch.

The actuating member 31 is normally maintained in its lowermost position (that is with the switch open) and the trigger 30 in its inoperative outward position by a spring 48 having its upper end interconnected to a lug extending forwardly from the upper end of the actuating member 31 and its lower end connected to a lug 50 bent forwardly from the forward wall of the frame member 36, the forward wall of the frame member also being cut away as indicated, to permit ready mounting of the spring. With this arrangement the saw will operate only when the trigger 30 is depressed, for when pressure is released therefrom the spring 48 will immediately urge the switch actuating member 3! downwardly and pivot the trigger 30 outwardly to their inoperative positions and thus operate the switch to break the motor circuit and stop the saw.

In order to have the switch responsive to the top grip trigger 32, which trigger is constructed in like manner to the trigger 3! there is provided adjacent the forward end of the top grip It a transverse pivot pin 52 which extends through aligned apertures in the top forward corner of the trigger 32, thus positioning the trigger to be readily actuated by the index finger of the operator when the top grip I0 is grasped. The rear upper corner of trigger 32 is pivotally connected by a. suitable pin 54 to the forward end of a bar or link 56 which bar extends rearwardly therefrom and has its other end pivotally connected by a pin 58 to the apex of a triangular member 60. The triangular member 60 has its base pivotally connected at its base angles to the pivot pins 46 and 41 of the rear grip trigger 30 and switch actuating member 31. With this arrangement, when the trigger 32 is pivoted inwardly the link 56 will be drawn forward, causing the apex of the triangular member to be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction about the fixed pivot pin 46 and thus raise the movable pivot pin 41 and actuating member 31 to actuate the switch and close the circuit to the saw motor. Upon pressure being released on the trigger 32, the spring 48 will again automatically pivot the trigger 52 to its inoperative position and move the actuating member 31 downwardly to operate the switch to break the circuit.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the switch actuating means and switch mechanism are all mounted on the handle part it thus enabling removal of the handle member I4 when necessary to adjust the parts or make any necessary repairs, also facilitating assembling of the handle and the mounting of same as a complete unit on the housing.

Moreover, by providing the handle with duplex grips the operator may use the saw to the best advantage with a wide variety of work and in effect combines into one structure the advantages of two structures, one having a top grip and the other a rear grip.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

We claim as our invention:

In a saw of the character described, a housing, a handle secured to said housing and including a substantially horizontal top grip and a substantially vertical rear grip extending down from the top grip, the forward end of said top grip being secured to said housing at approximately the center of gravity of the saw, a switch trigger pivotally mounted on each of said grips and so positioned as to be grasped by the index finger of the operator when either of said grips is grasped.

LUCIUS M. KNOUSE. CEDRIC POWERS. 

